Container having a releasable handle

ABSTRACT

A container is disclosed for carrying items via a releasable handle. According to one aspect, the container is formed as an assembly including a set of interconnected structural walls defining an enclosure, a through-hole formed in the enclosure, and a handle having a fixed end and a free end for coupling with the enclosure to form a looped handle. The enclosure has a first side, an opposed second side and an interior region, where the through-hole is formed in the first side of the enclosure. The proximal end of the handle is fixed with the second side of the enclosure and the distal end of the handle is configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form the handle into the looped configuration spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to portable containers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to containers having a releasable handle for improving access to an interior region of the containers while providing a secure carrying strap.

Portable containers having a top opening and corresponding handles, such as gift bags and the like, are popular devices for holding and presenting gift items to a recipient. A typical gift bag has a pair of handles that extend upwardly from the top opening of the bag and are mounted with opposed sidewalls of the bag. As one exemplary configuration, for each handle, a string or similar item is sandwiched between adjacent panels that are adhered together to form one of the sidewalls. While this type of arrangement proves to be convenient for insertion and removal of items from the bag, there are certain disadvantages. First, gift bag handles tend to be pulled away from the rest of the bag structure if items placed in the bag are too heavy. Thus, conventional handle constructions create a weak point where the handle is bonded or otherwise attached with the bag. Additionally, if a user accidentally only grasps one of the handles and lifted the container upwardly, the container could overturn due to the weight imbalance of only supporting one of the opposed sidewalls. This increases the risk of spilling out the contents held within the bag. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a container with a top handle that is easy to use while providing convenient access to contents held within the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container with a releasable handle is provided for transporting items while also possessing an open top that is easily accessible without being obstructed by the handle. In one aspect, the container is formed as an assembly including a set of interconnected structural walls defining an enclosure, a through-hole formed in the enclosure, and a handle having a fixed end and a free end for coupling with the enclosure to form a looped handle. The enclosure has a first side, an opposed second side and an interior region, where the through-hole is formed in the first side of the enclosure. The proximal end of the handle is fixed with the second side of the enclosure and the distal end of the handle is configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form the handle into the looped configuration spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.

In another aspect, a container assembly is formed via a bag-type structure having a set of sidewalls and a grommet formed therein, a band having a fixed proximal end and a free distal end, as well as a toggle fixed with the band. The bag-type structure provides a top opening formed by the sidewalls, with the grommet formed into a first sidewall and a proximal end of the band fixed with a second sidewall of the set of sidewalls. The toggle, being fixed to the distal end of the band, has a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

The container of the present invention provides the advantage of a top opening container structure with a handle that is releasable on one end to allow large items to be placed within the interior of the container and easily formed into a looped configuration for convenient transport of the container contents. Additional advantages and novel features of the present invention will in part be set forth in the description that follows or become apparent to those who consider the attached figures or practice the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a container having a releasable handle of the present invention, showing the handle in the looped configuration;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing a proximal end of the band of the handle fully coupled to one of the container sidewalls;

FIG. 3 is a section view similar to FIG. 2, with a toggle of the band fully inserted through a grommet in the respective container sidewall;

FIG. 4 is a section view similar to FIG. 2, with the toggle of the band partially inserted into the grommet;

FIG. 5 is a section view similar to FIG. 2, showing the direction of insertion of the toggle through the grommet; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the container having a releasable handle of FIG. 1, showing the handle in the decoupled position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The container of the present invention employs a releasable handle for improving access to a top opening of an enclosure formed by the container. Upon inserting items into the enclosure, the handle is easily coupled on opposed ends with the container walls to form a looped handle for transport of the container. It should be understood that although the container employing a releasable handle is shown in certain embodiments to take the form of a open top gift bag-type container, any type of container having a top opening is contemplated by and within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, because the generic construction of gift bags, boxes and the like as top opening containers is well known to those of skill in the art, the discussions herein regarding the formation of these types of containers in general from paper card stock, plastic sheeting, and the like, will be abbreviated. One practical example of container formation involves the process of cutting a particular die pattern into a flat sheet and forming fold lines to generate individual panel or sidewall sections. The panel sections are then folded together to create an enclosure, with some of the panel sections secured together (e.g., by adhering overlapping sections with one another) to maintain the structural integrity of the enclosure.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a container 100 employing a releasable handle is depicted. The container 100 takes the form of a open top bag-type enclosure 102 having a base 104 and a plurality of continuous sidewalls 106 extending upwardly from a perimeter 108 of the base 104. Upper regions 110 of the sidewalls 106 define a top opening 112 for the enclosure 102 to allow access to an interior region 114 of the enclosure 102 where items may be held. A first set of fold lines 116 delineate the separation of the base 104 from the sidewalls 106, while a second set of fold lines 118 are formed into the sidewalls 106. The second set of fold lines 118 enable each sidewall 106 of a first pair 120 of the sidewalls 106 to be folded onto themselves while a second pair 122 of the sidewalls 106 are moved together at the upper regions 110 to close off the top opening 112 of the enclosure 102. The sidewall upper regions 110 also each include a downwardly extending panel 124 formed by folding a portion of the sidewall upper regions 110 downwardly along a third set of fold lines 126. Each of the panels 124 are attached to an interior face 128 of a respective one of the sidewalls 106, such as by the use of adhesives or the like.

With additional reference to FIGS. 2-6, the details of a releasable handle 130 for the enclosure 102 are illustrated. The releasable handle 130 is formed of an elongate flexible strap or band 132 having a proximal end 134 and a distal end 136. The proximal end 134 of the band 132 is attached or otherwise secured with one of the sidewalls 106, while the distal end 136 is configured to be coupled with and decoupled from a sidewall 106 that is in opposed relation to the sidewall 106 with which the proximal end 134 is secured. For instance, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the proximal end 134 of the handle 130 is secured between one of the downwardly extending panel 124 and the interior side 128 of one of the second pair 122 of sidewalls 106. The second pair 122 of sidewalls 106 also includes grommets 138 a and 138 b formed into through holes in the sidewalls 106. Attached with the distal end 136 of the band 132 is a semi-rigid or rigid toggle 140 having a longitudinal dimension that exceeds the internal diameter of the grommet 136 b formed into the sidewall 106 opposite of the sidewall with which the proximal end 134 of the band 132 is secured. Both the grommets 138 a and 138 b and the toggle 140 may be formed of plastics, metals, or any other material that have sufficient rigidity and strength to transfer the loads placed on the enclosure 102 by the contents stored therein to the band 132.

In the above-described configuration for the releasable handle 130, a looped configuration for the handle (depicted in FIG. 1) is realized by first extending the proximal end 134 of the band 132 through the grommet 138 a and out of the interior region 114 of the enclosure 102 to a neutral position, and then pulling the band 132 over the top opening 112 of the enclosure 102 (as seen in FIG. 6) and extending the proximal end 134 and the toggle 140 through the opposed grommet 136 b, as shown in FIGS. 3-5. The toggle 140 is inserted lengthwise through the grommet 138 b, and upon the user pulling upwardly on the band 132, the toggle 140 engages the grommet 138 b (as seen in FIG. 2) to couple the handle 130 with one of the second pair 122 of sidewalls 106 opposite of the sidewall of the second pair 122 with which the proximal end 134 of the band 132 is secured. Through these steps, the looped handle 130 is interconnected with the opposed second pair 122 of sidewalls 106.

Because the band proximal end 134 is attached with a longitudinal midpoint of the toggle 138, tensioning of the band 132 induced by a user carrying the container 100 by the handle 130 does not cause rotation of the toggle 138 to where the toggle 138 could pass back through the grommet 136 in the direction opposite of insertion (as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5). Instead, when a user carries the container 100 by the handle 130, the toggle 138 remains in the position depicted in FIG. 2, such that the length of the toggle 138 prevents the toggle from moving back through the grommet 136 b. To decouple the proximal end 134 of the band 132 from the enclosure 102, the user first sets the container 100 down and releases the handle 130 (if it is being held) to release the tension on the band 132. Thereafter, the toggle 140 is rotated so that it may be extended lengthwise back through the grommet 138 b in the opposite direction from the direction of insertion, as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5. The handle 130 is then in the decoupled position shown in FIG. 1, allowing the user to freely insert large items into the enclosure 102 through the top opening 112 without interference from the handle 130.

In one preferred arrangement, the band 132 has a length that prevents the band 132 from slipping off of the top opening 112 and below the sidewall upper regions 110 to a position laterally adjacent to the first pair 120 of sidewalls when the handle 130 is in the looped configuration coupling the opposed second pair 122 of sidewalls 106 together and the bag is fully opened (i.e., when the first pair of sidewalls 120 are flat and not folded along the fold lines 118 to maximize the distance between the second sidewall pair 122). Thus, if the user sets the container 100 down, and the top opening 112 of the enclosure 102 remains fully opened, the handle 130 rests upon the sidewall upper regions 110 over the top opening 112, so that the handle 130 is positioned for easy gasping for the user to pick up the container 100 again.

The container 100 of the present invention provides the advantage of a gift container structure with a handle 130 that is releasable on one end to allow large items (even items having an outer peripheral dimension almost equal to the inner peripheral dimension of the container) to be placed within the interior of the container 100 and easily formed into a looped configuration for convenient transport of the container contents. By having a single handle structure, the container 100 is easier to grasp than some types of two handled containers. Further, by use of the grommet and toggle arrangement, a strong connection is made between the handle structure and the enclosure, reducing the tendency of handle failure with standard gift bag handles.

Since certain changes may be made in the above invention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover certain generic and specific features described herein. 

1. An open top container assembly, comprising: a set of interconnected structural walls forming an enclosure having a first side, an opposed second side, and an interior region; a through-hole formed in the first side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and a handle having a proximal end fixed with the second side of the enclosure and a free distal end configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form a looped handle spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a grommet mounted in the through-hole of the enclosure first side; and a toggle fixed to the free distal end of the handle, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the looped handle.
 3. The container assembly of claim 2, further comprising; an additional through-hole formed in the second side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and an additional grommet mounted in additional through-hole, wherein the proximate end of the handle is fixed to an interior face of the second side of the enclosure enabling the handle to be extended through the additional grommet.
 4. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein the handle is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
 5. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle is formed with a particular length such that upon releasably coupling the free distal end with the first side of the enclosure and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of structural walls and is forced to extend over the interior region.
 6. A container assembly, comprising: a bag-type structure having a set of sidewalls and a top opening; a grommet formed into a first sidewall of the sidewalls; a band having a proximate end fixed to a second sidewall of the sidewalls and a distal end; and a toggle fixed to the distal end of the band, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
 7. The container assembly of claim 6, further comprising an additional grommet formed into the second sidewall of the sidewalls, wherein the proximate end of the band is fixed to an interior side of the second sidewall enabling the band to be extended through the additional grommet.
 8. The container assembly of claim 6, wherein the band is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
 9. The container assembly of claim 6, wherein the handle is formed with a particular length such that upon forming the looped handle and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of sidewalls and is forced to extend over the top opening.
 10. An open top container assembly, comprising: a set of interconnected structural walls forming an enclosure having a first side, an opposed second side, and an interior region; a grommet formed into the first side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and a band having a proximate end fixed to the second side of the enclosure and a distal end; and a toggle fixed to the distal end of the band, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first and second sides of the enclosure.
 11. The container assembly of claim 10, further comprising an additional grommet formed into the second side of the enclosure, wherein the proximate end of the band is fixed to an interior face of the second side enabling the band to be extended through the additional grommet.
 12. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the band is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
 13. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the band is formed with a particular length such that upon forming the looped handle and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of structural walls and is forced to extend over the interior region. 